Red and Gold
by Salazarfalcon
Summary: Unofficial "Thirty Kisses" challenge featuring the pairing of Guy x Luke. Contains both platonic and romantic themes. Chapter Fifteen: The one where Luke comes home.
1. Look Over Here

#1 Look Over Here

For once, Guy was off duty. Well, as off-duty as he ever got, if the shouts and crashes and protesting maids that could be heard even from the garden were any indication. He sighed where he knelt in front of a large lily, just-pulled weeds hanging limply from his fingers.

Unlike a lot of nobles', Guy's hands were calloused hands. Like a lot of nobles, Guy lived in a mansion, but unlike most of them, this mansion wasn't his, and his status and true identity were unknown to all but one resident and that was just how Guy liked it.

His charge really was a hellion, the blonde boy thought to himself, considering the merits of setting aside his help to Pere in favor of going back inside and reining in Luke, who was double the menace he normally was whenever he wasn't with Guy.

The changes that had come over the boy after his kidnapping were stark and unavoidable; he'd never been anywhere near as clingy to Guy before the event and it was disconcerting. Even more so was the fact that Guy didn't dislike it. Luke had always been a relatively detached and aloof child (emulating his dear father the Duke no doubt) and had never appeared to give Guy any sort of indication of affection. This new (and dare Guy say improved in a few areas) Luke was all too affectionate in many ways improper to his status and Guy's, but the older boy couldn't deny that he encouraged it. It wasn't like Duke Fabre could be relied upon for warmth towards his only son and the Duchess was often ill. It certainly wasn't like Guy held any sort of real attachment for the boy, at least, that was what he told himself when he couldn't drown out the accusations in his head.

Guy's thoughts were drawn away by the sensation of a small hand curling into his sleeve and tugging.

"Guy, Guy, look!"

Blue eyes glanced down and Guy found himself presented with a haphazard bouquet of the Lady's prize-winning tulips, stems still trailing roots and soil and tied together with a shoelace. Guy might have groaned if not for the beaming, proud look on Luke's face, and he accepted the flowers with a smile that was instantly returned.

"Are you being awful to the maids again, Luke?" Guy chided and the twelve year old pouted, furrowing his brows ad folding his arms. "You know they're only doing their jobs."

"They keep tryin' to make me take _manners_," Luke said in the sort of tone that implied that the word tasted bad, "It's boring. Even pulling weeds is better."

"Or pulling up your mother's flowers," Guy commented dryly, glancing to the flowers that he still held. "You ought to go back in and apologize. I have to do what I'm told, you have to do what _you're_ told –at least I wish that you would-, and they have to do as they're told." Luke scowled and scuffed his shoe on the ground, covering the expensive leather in a layer of dust.

"I do what I'm told. I do what you say, don't I? …Sometimes."

Guy just barely managed to resist rolling his eyes skyward, wondering just what had happened in the universe that led to him being the lone and altogether cockamamie control on the boy's behavior.

"And I think that you should go back and apologize, if you're going to listen to what I say," he said lightly, reaching out a hand to ruffle Luke's red hair. If he'd tried that pre-kidnapping (not that he would have), Guy was sure that he'd get his hand slapped away. Luke leaned into the contact, reaching up and gripping his servant's hand in his.

"Fiiiiiine," Luke said reluctantly.

"Don't make me have to ask around to make sure you did it," Guy warned, only half-kidding and Luke knew it. "Go now, before they get worried. I'm sure I'll see you after your lessons."

He didn't know why he did it. He certainly hadn't planned on it, not that he would have gone through with it even if he had. But without thinking about it, Guy gave Luke's hair another ruffle before leaning in to drop a light kiss to the top of his head. However, while the older boy was struck with panic and a brief sense of the world turning upside-down, Luke was entirely nonchalant as if Guy did it all the time, a smile on his face as he jogged back to the manor, his hand waving in the air.

Guy rocked back on his heels, bemused for a moment and then the panic was back as he caught sight of Pere peering at him over one of the rose bushes. The boy bit his lower lip, entirely expecting a lecture or even a disappointed stare. Neither came. Instead, the older man's eyes softened and he turned back to trimming the bushes, this time with the edges of his lips tilting up.


	2. News, a Letter

Disclaimer: ….No.

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><p>#2 News; a letter<p>

Guy gets letters fairly often these days and for that he's extremely grateful, even if the reason is because he's so far from anything he considers home.

He's been in Malkuth for a month now, and has settled into a routine. He might be a noble, but he's still a noble that's used to working hard and doing tasks for others that might otherwise be considered distasteful. Back in Baticul, those tasks involved his incorrigible former master and best friend. Here in Emperor Peony's castle, Guy's tasks involve taking care of rappigs.

After what seems like forever with Luke, rappigs are easy, _and_ they can't talk.

The first letter he gets is from Anise, and while he reads it, Guy can't help but smile. She's as bubbly in her writing as she is in person, fluttering over one thing or another than bouncing over to another topic before switching to another. If he wrote to her as quickly as he got news from her, he'd never have a chance to sleep. The letters arrive surprisingly quickly considering that they travel from Daath, but Guy figures that Ion probably has a lot to do with that.

Jade never writes but that's because Guy sees much more of him than he thought he ever wanted to. The man seems gleeful that Peony has another victim and routinely stops by to sit in a chair and survey over Guy like a king, which is why Guy feels no guilt whatsoever for the immense irritation he brings about by parading Jade-the-rappig in front of Jade-the-fonist, relishing in leading him about on a leash and cooing. Loudly and quite obnoxiously.

It's all worth it to see Jade's left eye start twitching as if it's all he can do to not murder Guy right there in the drawing room, entryway, or wherever they happen to be at the time.

He's gotten several letters from Tear, mostly small talk and how are yous. He knows that it's been hard for her to deal with everything involving Van and Guy thinks that she keeps to simple topics because she isn't sure how to handle the big ones. Guy's okay with that, to be honest. If that's what helps her deal, then he'll be supportive as a friend ought to be.

Natalia writes, but not very often. Guy reads her letters with a bit of dry chagrin; she can't help but complain about Luke whenever she does write, and Guy's of the opinion that she misses having him around as a buffer and a convenient source of entertainment. Or free bag-carrier, he's not sure which. Either way, it's good to hear from her when he does and he's glad that she doesn't write like Anise, otherwise he really would never do anything but write replies.

It's Luke that he worries most about and treasures hearing from most. Luke is also the one whose letters come slowest. His letters are also the longest, pages and pages and pages of precious words that Guy reads every single one of. Details and occasional misspellings and scratched out words litter his letters but Guy doesn't mind at all because they make them honest.

Sometimes, Luke doesn't even sign his name.

He knows that Guy will know his handwriting. Even if he didn't, Guy would still know, because he's Guy and he _always_ knows.

At the end of every single one, there's always a small red 'X' neatly scrawled at the bottom of the last page.

The first time, Luke had explained it, sounding embarrassed even in his text. After the ink had dried, he said, he kissed the mark and sent the letter off. Continuing on, he hoped that if Guy got lonely being so far away, he'd see the mark and know that he wasn't alone.

Reading that, Guy folds the letter back up and sits down where he stands, the words written in the post script vivid in his mind, a warm, pleasant anxiety bubbling up from somewhere in his chest. He walks over and picks up his letter again, unfolding it and flipping it to the last page.

Feeling a little silly, Guy leans forward and brushes his lips to that little red 'X', wondering if Luke had predicted that he'd do it. Probably; his former master had moments of startling and altogether unnerving intuition that were rarely wrong.

When Guy writes back, he hesitates at the end. He doesn't bother signing his name, instead choosing to switch the color of his writing utensil and make a mark at the bottom of the page.

He waits until it dries, then kisses it.

Luke will know.


	3. Jolt

Disclaimer: Are you kidding?

#3 Jolt!

_[1__**]**__ to cause to move with a sudden jerky motion _

_[2] to give a knock or blow to; __specifically__**:**__ to jar with a quick or hard blow _

_[3] __a__**:**__ to disturb the composure of __**:**__shock__; __b__**:**__ to interfere with roughly, abruptly, and disconcertingly _

It should have been a bright, summer day. The weather was beautiful, the birds were singing, and Luke was on the verge of falling to his death.

Luke grit his teeth and clenched his eyes shut when he felt the ground begin to crumble beneath his feet. He shouldn't be so calm about the prospect of falling like this, but the rest of the party was too far away and there weren't any handholds that he could see. Luke didn't even think to scream or holler as he staggered back, the movement causing further degradation to the cliff side and expediting the process.

He knew he couldn't use fonic artes to give him an extra boost up, and he knew that there was no way he was agile enough to somehow pull himself out of this.

In the split second it took to realize he was falling and then realize that there was nothing he could do about it, Luke's brain had shut down and there was nothing in his head at all. It was hopeless, so he might as well not see the end coming.

Falling, falling.

And then everything stopped.

Luke refused to open his eyes, refused to acknowledge that there was an iron vice grip on his wrists from two different pairs of hands. If the end had really come this quickly, it would be cruel to try and open his eyes and see himself on the rocks below. What a last look it would be. The grip stayed strong and those green eyes remained closed as tightly as he could get them. The world had slowed to a crawl and still Luke's head offered nothing.

If he was dead, he wanted to stay like this, calm and painless.

There was no way that he was being dragged back over the cliff face, landing blissfully on dusty, solid ground. There was no way that he heard gasps of exertion and noises of pain, or smell the coppery scent of blood on his nose.

If this wasn't real, it would just be too cruel.

Hands weren't fisting in his collar, and he absolutely didn't hear a voice that shot straight to his heart, laced with pain and absolutely frantic.

Luke woke up.

He opened his eyes only to come face to face with a bright and panicked blue, intense and half crazed.

"…Luke! Luke, are you okay? Speak to me, damnit!" Guy demanded, voice tight, giving Luke a short shake. Seeing his hands and arms, Luke immediately knew where the blood had come from; the swordsman's lower arms and palms were ripped half to shreds and smeared with dirt and gravel. It mixed with his blood, giving it a too-sluggish texture and the colors of a battlefield.

The feeling that raced through him now made him feel as if he'd never truly breathed before. Every bit of air that reached his lungs felt like ice and Luke had gone from feeling nothing at all to being filled with blind terror. Still on his knees in the dirt, he began to shake and he couldn't even feel ashamed when tears began to well up in the corners of his eyes and slip down his cheeks.

That had been enough of a response for Guy apparently, and Luke found himself being crushed against a warm, broad chest. Guy was shaking too, and Luke murmured an apology into his shirt. He wasn't positive what he was saying sorry for, only that he was.

Fingers raked through long red hair and Luke heard Guy say a shaken thank you to Tear, and Luke realized with a start that she must have been the one clinging onto his other hand, long, feminine fingers leaving clench marks as impressive as Guy's had.

"You should heal those," the redhead finally said when he'd calmed, gesturing to Guy's arms. The man may as well have been deaf for as much as he'd reacted, and Luke reached up to squeeze his upper arms. "Guy?"

"I thought you were going to die. I didn't think I'd make it in time."

_I thought I was going to die too._

"I didn't, though. That's important, right?" Luke asked tentatively. The expression on his friend's face was still drawn and stressed, though, and he could see Anise fidgeting slightly from just out of earshot. He could see Jade's hand clamped firmly on her shoulder; the only thing keeping her from darting over. He pulled away and leaned up, drawing just near enough to brush Guy's forehead with his own. "I'm okay. It was close, but you made it. You didn't let me go."

These seemed to be the magic words, and Guy finally seemed to look at him and see him alive instead of the horrible possibilities in his head.

Checking briefly to see that Tear had her head turned away, Luke tilted his head and dropped a light kiss to Guy's lips, feeling him shudder slightly. Any other time, Guy shuddering would have been cause for excitement, now, it was in pure relief and they both knew it.

"Come on, they're waiting for us."

It should have been a bright, summer day. The weather was beautiful, the birds were singing, and Luke had nearly fallen to his death.

But he hadn't.


	4. Our Distance and That Person

Disclaimer: No.

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><p>#4 Our distance and that person<p>

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><p>If there was one thing and one thing only that Luke had learned in his five years of conscious memory and of spending that entire time confined to the manor, it was knowing when someone was acting out of character. In between being routinely insufferable and going the extra mile to torment everyone around him, Luke passed his time watching people.<p>

He knew how his mother took her coffee when she was sneaking it against her doctor's orders, knew that Rena the scullery maid was in a particularly sordid relationship with one of the footmen, and he knew exactly what it looked like when Guy was avoiding him.

It wasn't that he actually avoided him, certainly. The swordsman did his job effectively and efficiently, taking care of whatever Luke asked of him. It wasn't like he COULD get away with shirking his duties, living at the manor like he did. No, it wasn't a matter of ignoring or avoiding Luke that gave him away.

Guy's eyes said everything he wouldn't.

When something was upsetting him, he wouldn't even look at Luke. When he did, he wouldn't meet his eyes, focusing on a spot just to the side of his head. His normally exuberant and often exasperated voice would be subdued and ominously mellow, and he wouldn't scold or reprimand or do any of his normal Guy-like things whenever Luke was behaving particularly badly. Luke may or may not have been particularly awful on days like that, if only to try and get a reaction out of him.

It never worked.

Luke didn't know what in Auldrant Guy had to worry about, anyway. It wasn't like he didn't have somewhere to live or food and he had a job. All he had to do was take care of Luke and he did it well, and as long as he did that, he should consider himself worry-free.

Even though Luke thought and believed that, the look that lived on Guy's face when he avoided him said otherwise. Those days were anxious and stressful because Luke couldn't help feeling challenged, feeling like there was more he didn't know about his servant than he thought, and he disliked it.

Today was definitely one of those days, and Luke sat on his bed, glaring at the wall.

He thought he was brooding. Anyone else would say that he was sulking and getting dangerously close to pouting.

"Ugh, I can't take this," he muttered to himself, "Time to find that jerk and snap him out of this."

Luke scrambled off of his bed and exited his room into the courtyard, scanning the bushes. He wasn't looking for Guy; he knew he wouldn't find him here. But someone _else_ would definitely know where he was.

"Pere!" the redhead exclaimed, dashing down the stairs and stopping in front of a rose bush, peering around to find the head gardener pulling up weeds.

"Hello there, Master Luke," the man greeted, raising a hand. "You've been scarce today."

"Yeah, yeah," Luke brushed off, going straight for the kill, "Where's Guy? I know you know where he is. You always know!" He definitely didn't have a whine shining through his voice, and he scowled sullenly when Pere lowered his eyes, shifting uncomfortably. "Come on, where is he?"

"Perhaps if he's not around here, he could use some time by himself?" the old man offered, "Don't you think he's entitled to it?"

"No," Luke answered promptly, "Maybe if he weren't acting weird, but he is and I want to know what's going on. He goes off on his own all the time, to train and do other stuff that doesn't really matter much to me, but he's being strange and I want to find him. He's still within the walls, right?"

Bound by honor to be unable to avoid a direct command, Pere sighed.

"Yes, Master Luke. I believe he can be found in the guard's training yard."

"Why there? He hates going there to train because everyone gives him flack."

"I wouldn't know, Master Luke. I've divulged too much of his privacy already." To Luke's shock, the gardener turned away from him and focused back on his weeds. It didn't matter, though. Luke had gotten what he wanted, and he knew where to go.

"I'm off, then! Thanks, Pere!" he called behind him, making a beeline for the stairs leading out of the courtyard and through the hallway that led to the guards' barracks and through another that led to the training yard.

He wasn't even though the door before he heard the clanging of metal, shouts and taunts, cheers, and the haggard breaths of people involved in a fight. Luke shoved open the door, reeling back in shock at what he saw.

His timing was perfect.

He swung open the door just in time to watch Guy lunge forward, making a swing with his sword in a feint move, catching his opponent with an agile leg around the back of the knees when the guard fell for his feint. The man dropped to the ground, groaning slightly and Guy backed off, eyes alight with something Luke wasn't used to seeing. There were men lined up on the fence, some making bets, some nursing injuries. Guy himself sported what would definitely turn into a black eye if not treated with a healing spell, and to Luke's eyes, experienced in watching him move, it was obvious that he was favoring his left arm.

Ignoring everything but the prospect of another fight, Guy twirled his sword and proclaimed loudly to the entire courtyard,

"Any other fresh takers?"

A taunt.

It was like it wasn't even Guy speaking anymore to Luke's ears. Luke knew calm, knew irritated, knew worried, knew excited, knew pleased. He didn't know this.

"…Guy?"

The entire courtyard froze. The guards knew that they weren't doing anything _wrong_, but somehow it felt like they'd all been caught doing something they shouldn't have when the young master of the house walked in on them. Guy went stony, masking his look of surprise under an expression of almost sullen resignation.

"Do you need something, Luke?" he finally asked. He wouldn't meet Luke's eyes, and a flash of fury ran through the younger man.

"I do. You can come back with me, or I will be your next opponent."

Guy didn't glare or scowl, but his eyes sang out in mutiny, glaring into the ground.

"…Fine," he grit out, tossing the sword he'd borrowed to one of the men on the fence and making his way towards the door, still favoring his arm. Luke could see the marks indicative of a grab and twist, and wondered if Guy had any other marks on him. Once they were alone in the hallway, Luke turned to come face to face with his servant, folding his arms over his chest.

"What the hell was that?"

"What was what?"

"_That_. That whole thing. You never get into it with the guards. We both know you're strong. And…" He trailed off. How to bring up that for a moment, Luke hadn't even recognized him?

"I needed to burn off some steam," Guy finally answered, staring at something just at the side of Luke's face.

"Why?"

"I just needed to."

"But _why_?" Luke insisted stubbornly, startled when Guy finally raised his voice.

"Goddamnit, can't I have anything of my own? I said I needed to blow some stuff, so can't you just leave it at that? I'm not your pet that comes when it's called. I'm my own damn person with my own damn problems, and _sometimes_ I'm not the person that can smile all the time when I'm upset!" His words echoed down the hallway and he finally went silent, breathing heavy. Luke was so shocked by the outburst that he'd backed up to hit the wall, mouth dropping open. Guy's hands had clenched in his belt loops and even though he'd gone quiet, he seemed nowhere near offering any sort of apology.

"What's gone so wrong that you feel like you have to go violent apeshit on my family's guards?" Luke hissed, "I don't know how it got started or what, but _you_ are my servant. _They_ are supposed to protect my family if something happens. What the hell would you do if something happened and they were too down and out to be useful? What then? I don't care how bent out of shape you are; _think_ about what you're doing."

"Don't you _dare_ lecture me, you obnoxious-"

"I will lecture you if I damn well please."

They stood at opposite sides of the hallway, glaring furiously at each other. For a good minute, angry silence reigned. Finally, Luke lifted his head haughtily and turned his back, making his way back down the hallway, leaving Guy where he stood. His whole frame trembled with rage and an ache in his chest that he couldn't pin down, and he didn't need to look back to know that he was the only one walking.

Until suddenly, he wasn't alone.

A set of footsteps followed him but Guy said nothing. Luke knew he was there even without being able to hear him; he was so familiar with the other man that he could smell him. The redhead slowed to force the blonde to walk beside him and finally dared to glance out of the corner of his eye to survey him.

All of Guy's anger seemed to have faded and now he just looked tired. Tired and worn and upset and _hurt _and that worried Luke more than he'd like to admit. The uncharacteristic violence was startling and one thing, but this was another entirely.

"Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" he finally asked quietly, "I know there is. Otherwise you wouldn't do this. You listen to all of my problems, all the time, and never tell me any of yours. I can't think of any, but you obviously have some, and I can't understand unless you let me know. Don't friends tell each other stuff?"

"…I don't think I can," Guy finally answered, eyes shuttered, "I really, really don't think I can. It's too big and too… Just too everything. …I'm sorry I went off on you. I was out of place."

"Yes and no, I was asking for some of it," Luke muttered under his breath, as if being quiet would null the fact that he'd admitted it, "Okay, then. I have a deal for you." Guy merely raised an eyebrow in question, and Luke wished that he'd just talk and stop looking so exhausted. "You don't have to tell me what's bothering you if you don't think you can. But tell me when something's bothering you. I can tell anyway. And don't avoid me when you're upset, because it's just annoying. And try to avoid hurting the guards, too."

"Tall order," Guy muttered with a shake of his head, before his expression wavered. Luke just barely caught it, and his heart clenched. For a moment, just a brief moment, Guy looked as if he were going to cry and it was all Luke could do to not lean in and hug him.

He couldn't resist the temptation and did so anyway, wrapping his arms around his servant and squeezing tightly, feeling Guy trembling under his grip. Eventually, the tension and resistance drained out of him and he dropped his head to Luke's shoulder, letting out a shuddering breath. Unthinkingly, Luke tilted his head and pressed his lips to Guy's temple, knowing that if he pulled away and licked his lips, he'd taste sweat and the coppery tinge of blood from a head wound that had been healed and swiped away in the midst of battle.

"I can take care of you sometimes too, you know," he chided lightly, trying to hide the shakiness of his voice behind bravado, "So take my deal."

Guy didn't verbalize his answer, but Luke felt him finally nod into his shoulder, hands finally confident enough to drape around Luke's shoulders.


	5. Ano sa Hey, you know

Disclaimer: Still no. It will always be no.

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><p>#5 "Ano sa…" ("Hey, you know…")<p>

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><p>The nights were for three things: sleeping, thinking, and something that made Guy blush like a maiden to seriously think about. The last thing was <em>definitely<em> out, the first was a royal failure (emphasis on the royal, thank you very much, Natalia and Luke) which left the middle option.

Guy had eventually given up on sleeping and had sat up in his bedroll, surveyed the other members of the party in jealousy, then turned his gaze to the burned remnants of their fire. If he stayed here, he'd be tempted to light it again, and that would wake up someone who would inevitably wake up Jade, and then that would be the end of it. The man was a goddamned bear when he woke up unexpectedly.

The moon wasn't quite full but made up for it by being bright and almost blinding and casting lights over the nearby hills, and Guy rolled up his sleeping bag silently and made his way into the nearest meadow, treeless and allowing a large, open patch of inky sky to shine through. Guy flopped onto his back with a contented 'umph' and stared up at the stars, folding his hands behind his head and feeling the moonlight on his face as clearly as he would sun.

Footsteps, soft and quiet, but unhesitating. Guy didn't even need to look.

"Hello, Luke. Couldn't sleep?"

The redhead huffed slightly and flopped down next to him.

"Could ask you the same. You woke me up when you left." Luke cast him a look with bright green eyes and sidled closer until his shoulder was brushing Guy's.

"Sorry. I figured that you were sleeping more deeply than that."

"It wouldn't have mattered if it hadn't been you."

Guy wished that those words that didn't make his stomach do a happy flip-flop and begin uncoiling the chain of warmth that he only really experienced when Luke said something like that without even thinking about how much it undid him. Smiling wryly, the blonde answered Luke's edging closer with some of his own, curling his arm around the younger man's head to brace it. The pleasure in Luke's eyes almost hurt, and Guy wondered what he saw in his blue.

"Hey, you know…" Luke began, closing his eyes as Guy twined his fingers in the shorter strands at the nape of his neck, "I don't want to change."

"Change what?" Guy asked quietly, furrowing his brows.

"This. Us. I like us and I don't want it to go away. It's been so hard…to believe in anything since I found out what I am. I can't help but feel sometimes that since I'm a replica, it'd be so easy to slip away and for someone with my face and body to come and take my place and my name. Like I did to Asch. Since I'm a replica, I'm less and I can be copied. And I know _you_ don't feel like that, so don't give me the face, but still," Guy had already begun to scowl, The Face already on its way, about to open his mouth and protest, which he did. Vehemently.

"Listen, you," Guy began, sitting up. "You think you replaced Asch? I like him well enough now, grouchiness and all, but I couldn't stand that kid. I tried to be kind and do my job well, but nothing more. I wouldn't wish anything that he's gone through on him, but he was a miserable little boy to look after, and I certainly don't have the feelings for him that I have for you. Someone could have your face and call themselves Luke and maybe even try to be with me, but you're still the only one I give a damn about, and you'd better remember it." That said, Guy shifted over and braced a hand on the other side of Luke, leaning down and reinforcing his words with a firm kiss, pulling away and dropping another to his cheek, then his temple, then his forehead. "And I'll keep convincing you until you believe me."

"Do keep convincing, you're quite good at it," Luke murmured, reaching up to stroke the back of Guy's head. The flicker of grief that had shown itself in his eyes had faded slightly, and the edge of his lips tilted up. "Might need to do a little bit more."

"Gladly," was all Guy said before dipping down again. Luke gave as good as he got, something that both thrilled and terrified Guy, who pretended to have more experience than he did (very, very little) and hoped to everything that he would never have to actually thank Luke for pretending to believe him about it when they both knew the truth.

Eventually, they settled back again, Luke curled up against Guy like he was his personal teddy bear (which he was) and breathing deeply, lips slightly kiss-bruised and his expression pleasantly sated. Luke wasn't the only one clinging. Guy would like to pretend that he wasn't, but his arm around Luke's waist was a tellingly protective vice grip; one that Luke wouldn't have been able to break even if he wanted to, which he didn't. Ever.

The silence that ruled wasn't one of the awkward ones and Guy sighed slightly, closing his eyes and nuzzling up against Luke's neck and breathing in the scent of him as if it hadn't already been imprinted and ingrained into his memory.

"Hey…" Luke started, nudging him in the chest.

"Yeah?"

"…would you like me even if I was something awful and gross and creepy? Like a flying monkey?"

Guy stared, tilting his head to face Luke, his expression clearly saying he was considering whether his…whatever special something that Luke was, was completely unhinged.

"What?"

"I mean, if I was still myself. But I was a flying monkey. Would you still like me?"

"Absolutely," Guy answered immediately, "You being a flying monkey would be kind of nice, actually. More useful than Mieu for sure, you could fly up and get those boxes in the trees, and I could feed you bananas for a job well done."

Laughing, the blonde dodged a smack aimed for his head, before meeting his retaliation shut-up kiss head on.


	6. The Space Between Dream and Reality

Disclaimer: No.

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><p>#6 The Space Between Dream and Reality<p>

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><p>Guy woke up to a snuffling in his bedroll and very nearly decapitated Luke in his dazed frenzy to destroy whatever monster had decided that it was smart to attack him in the night. In a way, it <em>was <em>a monster; it certainly wouldn't have been the first time that Luke had been compared to one, even by Guy himself. But no, it really was just Luke, somehow managing to wriggle his way entirely into Guy's sleeping bag.

Experimentally, Guy prodded him, receiving only a cranky-sounding groan in reply.

Blue eyes rolled.

"Luke," he said quietly, "_Luke_. This thing isn't big enough. Wake up and go back to your own bag."

No response except for a certain redhead cuddling closer and twining his arms around Guy's waist, as if that would make more room. With a sigh, Guy shook his head, unconsciously giving up. It had been an absurdly long day with more fighting than usual. They were all worn out, but while Guy and the others were more capable of pushing away the guilt of slaying fellow human beings, Luke wasn't and couldn't hide that it still shook him, no matter how many times he had to do it.

Guy never said anything when it happened but Luke tended to sleepwalk when under extreme stress, and that he was here now was more telling than even the haunted look in his eyes when he smiled. It had been more and more common, starting from when they first started traveling and increasing further upon Luke's realization that he wasn't who he thought he was and that he was created to be a meaningless sacrifice.

"Okay, okay. You win. Apparently even your subconscious brain knows that I'm a sucker," he murmured, nevertheless wrapping an arm around his bed mate and stroking his hair, settling slightly when he saw the space between Luke's eyebrows unfurrow.

Guy would have given anything to be able to do this when Luke really needed it most. He wished that Luke would let him hover over him after a battle and inspect him and make sure he was alright in the daylight, instead of seeking it out in darkness. Even something as simple as a hug would have improved him, but when he tried, Luke merely bristled with false bravado and shrugged him off, trying to hide his trembling. Apparently maintaining his pride meant more than giving himself what they both knew he needed. If Luke ever tried to deny the fact, all Guy ever had to do was raise an eyebrow and remind him that it wasn't Natalia or Tear that he sought out in his sleep.

Luke was nuzzling again, sleep-addled hands deft enough still to clench into the fabric of Guy's nightshirt, his breath still shaky and restless.

"Light spear cannon..!" he grumbled in his sleep, and Guy felt cold fingers tighten around his heart.

"Can't escape it even in your sleep, huh?" the blonde whispered to the sky, giving in and coiling himself tighter around the younger man, lacing his hands around his shoulders to lock him there. Words that he repeated far too often under the same situation bubbled from his lips to land in Luke's hair, and Guy hoped that somewhere, Luke was hearing them no matter what he was fighting in his head and heart. "You'd better watch out," he told him eventually, "This can't keep up. I _will_ take care of you whether you like it or not and there is nothing you can do about it."

He sealed his promise with a kiss, Luke's cheek smooth under his lips.

Guy wouldn't sleep at all that night, keeping up his vigil even after Luke settled down and fell into a sleep devoid of dreams, as he always did.

When dawn broke in the morning, Guy would extract himself from Luke's grip and go wash up in the river to try and scrub off his dark circles. When he came back, he'd certainly find Luke sitting in front of the burned out campfire, mindlessly running a brush through his short hair.

They would lock eyes, and Guy would nod, Luke responding with a confused, questioning tilt of his head.

That promise would be kept.


	7. Superstar

Disclaimer: Ha. No.

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><p>#7 Superstar<p>

* * *

><p>"…holy hell."<p>

Guy had walked into the room they had been assigned at the inn in Chesedonia, dressed gloriously like a bartender. All movement stopped, and it took a smack on the head from Tear for Luke and Anise to pick their jaws up off the floor.

"Oh my, oh my. What an entrance," Jade commented dryly. The blonde swordsman shot him a withering glare and tugged at his collar. "To what do we owe this momentous wardrobe change?" Another glare.

"Ha ha, very funny. You're a hoot, Jade," Guy muttered, "The man running the bar mistook me for an apprentice and I ended up sticking around for a bit."

"Ooooh? And what were you doing in a shady place like that? Aren't you a little young to be drowning your sorrows?" Jade's voice was lofty and dripping with honey, and from Luke's point of view, it was obvious that that more than anything was what upped Guy's irritation level from stun to kill.

"My mistake, I wasn't aware that you could hear _or_ see anymore, you dusty old fossil. And anyway, it's not my fault that the closest place within the mile to get some decent juice just happens to be that bar. It's not shady at all; they serve milk to kids there!"

"And don't you need it, growing boy."

Jade smirked and Guy seethed where he stood. Luke wavered between sympathy and amusement, before finally settling on the former. He could always laugh to himself, but if he laughed at Guy now, he'd just get vindictive, and the running score was clear in that it never turned out in Luke's favor.

"I think you look _great_," Anise exclaimed, bouncing up and walking a circle around Guy, looking him up and down in appreciation. "So great that I'd totally marry you if you asked, even though you're not really my type. How about it?"

The closer she got, the edgier Guy looked until he stepped out of her prowling, eying her warily as a pig-yak would a wolf.

"I-I-I'm going to have to pass on that. Sorry, Anise. Better keep looking."

"Boooo," the girl muttered, pouting.

"That does look rather good on you," Natalia piped up from she sat, prim and lady-like on the chair set by the window, "Very flattering." Tear seconded the opinion with a nod and a smile, knowing better than to get too close to him when he was already jumpy over nearly being accosted by Anise.

Luke bristled like an angry cat when Guy preened at the compliments, sheepishly running a hand through his hair, unable to keep the pleased smile off of his face. Blue eyes turned to meet green, and Guy raised an eyebrow, silently trying to establish Luke's opinion on the matter.

"Your other clothes are better…" the redhead muttered, looking away to conceal the fact that he couldn't resist more than his fair share of appraising glances despite his sudden sulkiness, "But keep it on if you like it. Don't let me stop you." This _must_ be punishment for laughing internally at Guy's suffering at the words of Jade. If Luke had been looking, he'd have seen the brief confusion flash over Guy's face before it was gone and replaced with a knowing tilt of the lips.

"I will, then. Glad you approve." Guy emphasized 'approve' with an extra-big smile, reaching out a hand and ruffling Luke's hair.

"Stop your touching," the younger boy replied, swatting his hand away, unable to quite hide the color that rose in his cheeks. "No touching."

"Aye, aye."

With those parting words and a jaunty salute, Guy turned away and flopped onto the sofa, digging into his bag and pulling out what appeared to be a small metal cube with wires and buttons sticking out every which way, fiddling with it intently and returning to doing normal, Guy-like things but somehow looking much more suave while doing them. After a few brief moments, the dynamic went back to normal as well.

Except for Luke.

Teasing his lower lip between his teeth, he couldn't keep his eyes off of Guy, the black and white of the clothing contrasting sharply with his hair, each piece well-made and well-fitted, showing Guy off and making him shine like a good frame did a piece of art. No wonder all of the girls were bonkers over him in that getup, he thought morosely, resting his chin in his palm and continuing to stare. After he couldn't get away with it any longer, Luke scowled at the floor.

Damnit.

Finally, he got to his feet, heading toward the door with a,

"Going for a walk. Be back later."

He didn't notice that he wasn't alone until a hand reached out and took his upper arm unhesitatingly, pulling him off to the side.

"What's up with you-?" Guy asked, tilting his head, only to be cut off when Luke rolled his eyes skyward and pressed forward to back the blonde up against the wall without ado, leaning up to kiss him fiercely enough to startle and bruise, one hand tangling in that perfectly starched collar and the other in the hair at the nape of his neck. Guy swallowed his words in favor of a pleased sort of sigh, smiling into the kiss despite the force.

"You don't have to look so _happy_ when they say you look good," Luke said when he pulled away, mouth downturned and upset, "Would it have mattered it I didn't like it?"

"But you did, so what are you so tweaked about?" Guy replied, returning Luke's sentiment with a kiss of his own, nipping the redhead's lower lip on his return, "You liked it, so what does it matter if the others do too? I'm allowed to like compliments. I know _you_ like it when one of them says something nice about you."

"I know, but that still doesn't mean that I have to like it when they do it to you," Luke conceded, flush spreading over his face like wildfire, unsure of whether he was pleased to not have been brushed off or embarrassed that it had come to this and they were essentially speaking in between kisses.

"I'm absolutely yours," Guy said suddenly, tilting Luke's chin up with steady fingers, voice stern and firm as if that was the only thing he believed in, "I love our friends and I appreciate the things they say and think, but I'm yours. And more than that, you're mine in return." Nip, kiss. Luke stared for a few seconds, gobsmacked, mouth dropped open in shock.

"D-d-d-do you have to say it like that? What am I supposed to say? I can't top that!" he exclaimed, unable to ignore the fact that he'd already lost his one-sided argument, shifting from determined jealousy to practically vibrating with happiness at a few words from the right person. "I've got you here in a dark hallway, you're dressed like a bartender and pressed up against a wall –also thanks to me- and you're _still _one-upping me!" Luke fell silent and Guy merely surveyed him for a few seconds, before a wide smile spread over his features. Sheepishly, Luke returned it, shivering when Guy wrapped an arm around his shoulders, the other pressed against his back, fingers splayed wide and familiar.

"Like I'd have it any other way."


	8. Our Own World

Disclaimer: Still no.

* * *

><p>#8 Our Own World<p>

* * *

><p>The world swims in front of Guy's eyes and he blinks slowly, very slowly, unable to quite believe what he's just heard.<p>

After Van leaves, all of them are frozen in shock. Even Jade, sarcastic, heckling, unflappable Jade has his mouth hanging open, swaying on his feet and blatant shock written on all of his features. Tear's trembling and doing her best not to cry and Guy wonders if she's horrified because of what her brother's just said or because of what he's become. Anise and Natalia don't move at all, tears of anger and fear shining in the corners of their eyes and Guy wishes that he could go over to them and pat their heads or tell them that it'll be okay. But he can't because for all he knows, it won't be.

He doesn't know if he can tell a lie that cruel.

Luke is who he worries about most, and Guy makes his way over to him, every step unbearably slow and intentional.

There's no color in Luke's face and his green eyes are dazed, as if he's just been bludgeoned in the head. He's sunk down to one knee to kneel in the dirt, head hanging and breathing shallowly through the mouth, near hyperventilation.

For once, Guy doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know what to do for the girls when he can barely get near them even when his heart is screaming for him to get over there and help them, doesn't know what to do for Jade, frighteningly silent and still as a statue. Guy knows that his brain is probably going at the speed of light, running over anything and everything he knows to figure out how it got to the point that a madman was in a position to replace the world with copies from a process that he created.

Copies like Luke. Blank slates created solely to be a copy from another living creature. A living, breathing human sacrifice brought into the world through human hands and treated as less.

Guy doesn't know quite how it's hitting Luke but he can imagine, and the thought makes his insides squirm with anguish. Fear, sadness, and a fierce undercurrent of rage are ruling him now and he clenches his hands to force them to stop shaking. It's everything he can do to not chase after Van, scream at him to change his mind. See if he has enough consideration or respect or humanity or _honor_ left to reason in the face of his own 'young master', grown up and changed but still himself.

For Guy, it's Master Luke. For Vandesdelca, it used to be Master Gailardia. But probably not anymore, and that thought hurts Guy more than he thought it would.

Guy kneels down next to Luke, dropping a hand to his shoulder to feel him out. He's shaking like a leaf and Guy squeezes firmly, as if that might somehow steady him. He knows it won't work.

"Luke," he whispers, voice low and insistent, "Please look at me, Luke." He doesn't respond to words, and Guy gives his shoulder a firm shake. Slowly, as if dragging himself out of a lake of quicksand, Luke meets his eyes.

Guy flinches.

He's never seen those eyes so desolate and it terrifies a good part of him to see it now.

"This is all my fault," Luke whispers, his voice as empty-sounding as the rest of him. "He wants to make a world of copies. He wants to destroy everything and recreate the world to suit him. I _helped with this._" He doesn't stop talking even when Guy leans in to wrap his arms around him and pull him close. He does it as much to comfort Luke as he does to comfort himself, focusing on Luke's shaking and mental state so as to steady his own. He can't take care of Luke if he can't take care of himself, and Guy forces himself into a box that can only see the person in his arms right now because that's all he can handle right now.

Any more than that and he can't take care of anything at all.

Luke can't or won't look at him anymore.

"Don't be ridiculous, this isn't your fault. You didn't ask for this, and you didn't have anything to do with Van doing this." _If any of this is your fault, it's my fault too. Part of Van's motivation must have been me, for me and for Hod. If not for that, this wouldn't be happening._ Clenching his teeth, Guy sits back on his haunches to sit flat on the ground, pulling Luke with him. The redhead is still and uncharacteristically allows himself to be manhandled.

"Why am I even here?" Luke finally exclaims, looking up, the beginning of tears beginning to well up in his eyes, "What did he create me for? Why'd he have to do this to Asch? A world full of replicas? What good is that if he can't even treat _me_ as a human being? I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't even exist. I'm an abomination-"

There's a sharp intake of breath from more than one person when Guy kisses him fiercely, hands splayed out on his cheeks, blue eyes clenched shut. He takes Luke's words for his own and swallows them down, keeping the rest of his self-flagellating tirade from reaching the air and poisoning them all. Luke flinches and tries to push him away, but Guy doesn't slack his grip until he tastes salt water and Luke sags against him, fisting his hands in Guy's collar and shaking him roughly. Guy doesn't resist, taking all he offers.

"You're wrong," Guy whispers, finally, "You're wrong, you're wrong. If you're not, shove me away and leave me here, because I don't love any abominations and an abomination certainly can't love me." He lowers his voice. "If I'm wrong, then stop this right now, because monsters don't love."

A shaky sob is his only answer until Luke finally shakes his head, burying his face in his hands when his expression finally crumples.

"Please don't leave me," he pleads, voice cracking, "Please, please, please doesn't leave me alone. I love you and I need you."

"I love and need you too," Guy replies hoarsely, "So don't do this to me." He loosens his grip on his most precious person and begins to stand, pulling Luke up with him, wrapping a steady arm around his waist. Luke doesn't raise his head, but Guy can feel a shiver of trepidation run up his spine at the sudden realization of what has just been expressed in front of everyone. All the hiding, all the secrets, all the resistance and suppression all this time, destroyed in the space of under five minutes.

Next to Jade, a hand buried in his coattails, Anise opens her mouth to say something as they approach but almost immediately shuts it, catching a threatening Look from Tear. Guy appreciates the sensitivity, and when he looks into Tear's eyes, the stare she gives him is gentle, accepting, and inexplicably soft. He knows that she can't possibly understand completely, but he knows the expression on her face, and he has no idea how the hell she can stand to smile at him when she has so much bearing down on her.

Silently, Tear walks around to stand at Luke are other side, reaching out to grasp his shoulder in one of her smaller, feminine hands. Luke gapes at her and all she does is nod solemnly, before letting go of him and turning away to walk towards Natalia, who purposefully leans against her for a brief moment as to assure herself that they really were still there.

Guy supposes that they all needed the contact.

Protector, protectee, right now, they're all the same with the lines them between shattered into pieces. He might have been taller and older and stronger, but Guy needs to touch just as much as Luke does, and he sees it in the bearing of all of their friends, and he understands.

"Thank you," he whispers.

The journey continues.


	9. Dash

Disclaimer: Ahahahaha.

* * *

><p>#9 Dash<p>

* * *

><p>This was unbelievably difficult to watch. Guy stayed out of eyeshot and earshot, watching Lady Susanne and eleven year-old Luke take a walk through the garden on one of the rare occasions that she was given the okay by her doctor. Rather, she was walking and holding Luke's hand as he attempted to relearn how to balance himself. She was smiling, but a clear sadness shone in her eyes as she watched her son, holding her hand for balance and not because he was feeling affectionate.<p>

It had been hard on her, Guy knew, to watch Luke watch her with eyes that didn't know her, and despite Guy's own determination to dislike the lot of them (not that it was terribly difficult to despise the Duke for more than one reason), it was moments like these that made him twinge with sympathy. He knew it hurt her as well to watch Guy come back into the picture when she inevitably became tired and see the way Luke's eyes lit up at the sight of him.

It was a logical turn of events, yes.

Luke seemed to be a blank slate and showing no signs of regaining his memory though it had been a year since his kidnapping, much to his father's dismay and frustration. Guy had always been Luke's primary caretaker even before the incident, but now even more so. Duke Fabre had become, if possible, even more absent and the stress had taken its toll on Susanne. The woman walked with a frailty to her and while her skin was still beautiful, dark circles ringed her lower eyes, covered over with makeup.

"Luke,"

Guy perked up when Lady Susanne spoke, watching as the redhead hanging onto her hand with both of his looked up at her, eyes wide.

"Have you remembered anything, darling? Anything at all?"

Luke flinched at the question and Guy flinched with him.

It was a question often asked by his father, and was usually followed by an intense scolding that Guy knew he couldn't step in to stop. Guy knew that Susanne was a gentle woman and that she, unlike her husband, wouldn't go off on him, but it nevertheless made him wary enough to stick around, hiding just behind the bushes to observe.

"No…"

That was the only answer Luke could give and the only one he knew. He'd learned words and phrases in spades over time, so quickly that if you didn't know better, you'd think he'd remembered some of what he'd forgotten. But no, most of that was brought on by Guy's constant stream of talking while in his presence. Guy talked while he walked, talked while he did his exercises in the mornings, talked while he cleaned, talked while he put on Luke's shoes. He talked about different things; plants and animals, the weather, what people in the castle were doing, and Luke soaked every bit up like a sponge. Before his kidnapping, Luke had always been diligent in his studies, doing all of his assigned work efficiently. Now, however…

Well, it had taken no longer than a month before the Duke had put his foot down and set Luke's tutors back to teaching him, but it had been completely ineffective. It was clear that Luke just didn't understand and didn't have the patience, throwing tantrums on a good day and completely shutting down on the bad, refusing to even move or look up until Guy came to get him and then he'd cling desolately until the older boy found something to divert his attention and get his spirits up again.

It was so obvious that the child still had his smarts but couldn't be taught like that, not at this point and his experiences with formal teaching had soured him already, so fifteen year old Guy had taken to borrowing books from the library and steamrolling through them at night, adding those topics to his perpetual and sometimes one-sided conversations with the boy during the day when they were together.

"That's alright, sweetheart," Susanne said gently, and Guy shook himself out of his thoughts just in time to see her kneel down so that she was face to face with her son, "I'm sure you'll get them back someday. Sometime. Keep trying. Will you promise Mother that you'll try?"

Luke nodded solemnly.

"Yes," he said softly, and she smiled. Seeing an expression like that, so soft and openly loving on her face made something inside Guy twist up and wither in guilt, making him feel as if he'd eaten something off for breakfast. She was a mother and cared dearly for her child, and for a moment, Guy felt as if he were staring at his own, alive and solid though in truth she'd been deceased for a decade. What would she think, what would Mary think, if either of them knew the reason why he'd integrated himself into this household? To kill a child, and a thoroughly helpless one at that, who depended on Guy for everything now and who was so treasured by his mother…

Guy didn't know, and he didn't want to know.

"As long as you try. Your best is just fine."

Guy hit the ground, the knees of his breeches scuffing in the dirt. Silently, he forced himself to breathe steadily to avoid hyperventilating, suddenly reminded of just what he'd lost, torn between disgust at himself and the person he'd become and desperation for what he hadn't had in ten long years.

The leaves rustled when he moved and Guy picked his head up just in time to see Susanne turn in his general direction, peering around.

"Hello? Who's there?" she called, standing up and straightening her skirts.

Guy drew in a breath and got to his feet, stepping out from behind the foliage and bowing, careful not to get too close to the Lady of the house out of both propriety and his own inability.

"I'm very sorry to intrude, milady," he said, unconsciously straightening his clothing. "I was helping the head gardener." He'd been doing no such thing, but she didn't need to know that. "My apologies for the interruption. I'll take my leave at once—"

"Guy!" Luke exclaimed, letting go of Susanne's hands and making a beeline for him, stumbling just before he reached him.

"Easy, easy," Guy said, reaching out before he knew it and catching him to settle him back on his feet, "Careful, there. Don't hurt yourself." Luke beamed at him, and it was incredibly difficult to remain detached and properly servile when faced with an expression like that. He turned blue eyes to make a quick glance to Susanne. The woman's smile had a small hint of sadness to it, and Guy couldn't help but feel as if it was his fault. Luke had given no thought to letting go of her and running straight to him though spending time with her was almost as rare as seeing his father. "Master Luke, go back to milady. She wants to spend time with you."

"Guy, stay!" Luke said, fixing Guy with an increasingly shiny puppy dog stare, also gained from his kidnapping and the wiping of his memories. "I missed you."

"I can't, Master Luke. Go."

The boy's lower lip began to tremble and Guy flinched. Mercifully, Susanne caught it too and stepped in, saying gently,

"If Luke would prefer it, you're welcome to continue on our walk with us. He's quite close to you."

Guy didn't know what it must take her to say that to someone like him, how much it had to take to not be resentful. She might have been but if she was, she didn't show it at all, throwing a soft smile his way as well. Guy wished that it didn't warm him at all, much less as much as it did. She had always treated him well from the start, probably better than most servants were, but Guy figured that that had more to do with the fact that he was essentially the sole caretaker of her only child who clearly adored him, though never before so much as he did now. Guy would rather all of his teeth be pulled from his jaw than say aloud to anyone but Pere that he infinitely preferred post-kidnapped Luke to the one he had spent nine years with.

"If it pleases you," he said softly, coming as close as he dared before he began to feel the telltale shaking start up in his frame and knew that he wouldn't be able to approach closer.

Luke skipped back to his mother, grabbing her hand in one of his and then reaching out as far as he could to take one of Guy's in the other, stretching out the full span of his arms to start walking.

Guy would laugh later at the synchronization of his and Susanne's blinks at the action before she smiled again. They walked together all over the manor until she became too tired and sent Guy off to get her doctor. Before she returned to her room, however, she leaned down and kissed Luke on the forehead, running a delicate hand through his hair, and the smile on the little boy's face was blinding and bright and Guy couldn't help but smile despite the ache.

* * *

><p>"Good night, young master. Sleep well," Guy said quietly, tucking Luke into bed that night, tucking the covers up to his chin a glass of milk and two stories later. The night ritual was one of the few times he was allowed in Luke's bedroom and he wasn't sure how long that would last, given that it likely wouldn't be long before Luke could put himself to bed.<p>

"G'night, Guy," Luke said sleepily as was routine, before jolting as if he'd suddenly been reminded of something. "Wait… don' go yet." Guy stopped and came back to the bed, sitting down at the edge.

"Yes?"

Luke had sat up and scooched closer. Suddenly, he leaned forward and pressed an unabashed kiss to what he'd probably intended to be Guy's forehead but missed, getting just above his eyebrow instead. Guy gaped openly at him.

"Mama does that and it makes me feel good. Do you feel good?" he asked curiously, displaying no hesitation in the slightest. For a brief moment, Guy caught a look at his own face in the mirror and saw clearly the worry and anxiety that he'd been so careful not to show earlier that afternoon plain as day, and then turned back to Luke who was still waiting for an answer.

He knew that he should tell Luke that doing something like that was inappropriate of his station as scion of House Fabre, and that while it was a kind gesture, he shouldn't repeat it. Instead, before he could stop it, what came out of his mouth was an immediate,

"Yes."

"I'm happy… Be happy too, okay Guy? Good night…" And with no more than another smile and a self-satisfied nod, Luke scrabbled back under the covers, turning over and curling up, falling asleep almost immediately. For a few minutes, Guy didn't move, half-shocked still at what had just transpired. Absently, he touched a hand to the area that that well intentioned kiss had been placed, before gently patting Luke's hair. A smile curled at his lips.

"Good night, Master Luke." With that, Guy got up, readjusted the bedclothes and flicked off the light, shutting the door with a quiet click.

Sighing, the blonde boy leaned against the wall, for once not thinking much of anything. The smile hadn't left his face, and an odd feeling of calm was purring in his stomach as if he'd just come home to Hod and all of his family was there to greet him, happy just to have him back and Guy realized with a cold shock that he'd never, ever be able to do what he'd originally intended. The realization, while sudden, didn't upset him as much as he'd expected it to. His grievance was with Duke Fabre, and his child and wife were innocents, he knew. Even if Guy would have been able to do it simply to cause the man pain, there was no way that he'd ever be able to look at himself again and feel like he was anything better than the most toxic of pond scum. Maybe he'd change his mind later, but Guy sincerely doubted it, knowing that this decision was no small one, and not one that he'd likely experience a turnaround on.

The feelings of pain and rage were still there, of course, potent and cutting and Guy shuddered. Despite that his own feelings of anger and hurt were still very much present, destroying the trust that he'd been given was a price he couldn't pay, not now. Not with his heart or his honor or his humanity.

A part of him, Guy supposed, must have always known, and he wondered how he was going to tell Pere that the gig was up. No point in keeping up the farce when there was no way that the old man wouldn't see the change on him anyway.

"Would you be proud of me, Mary? Will you forgive me for this?" he asked to the empty hallway.

No one answered, of course, but the warm, happy feeling stayed with him all the way back to his quarters.


	10. 10

Disclaimer: No~

* * *

><p>#10 #10<p>

* * *

><p>The look on Guy's face was cold and hateful and Luke had never been so terrified as he was right then, parrying Guy's attacks desperately, unable to keep from cringing when Guy slapped his sword away with his own, sending it flying. The ground began to shake and Luke didn't notice when Natalia shot Sync out of the tree, only that Guy stopped his attacks, giving Luke enough time to dodge roll and take back his sword. He brandished it, only to watch the blonde collapse to the ground.<p>

He felt frozen and cold when it fell to him to pick up his best friend and special whatever Guy was, wrapping an arm around his waist to half-carry him the rest of the way to Grand Chokmah.

He froze when Ion proclaimed just how deep Sync's curse slot went, so deeply that Guy couldn't fight it anymore and something inside him broke when the Fon Master continued, stating solemnly that a curse slot couldn't take control of the victim, that the target had to have the feelings to begin with in order to destroy rationality and inhibitions.

So that meant that Guy actually hated him? That all this time, he'd hated him and wanted him dead?

The thought had Luke paralyzed. His hands went limp when Guy was taken from him and carried off by the guards to have the curse slot removed by Ion. Tear stayed behind, and when Luke picked his head up, she was glaring at him.

"Stop that," she growled, putting her hands on her hips.

"Stop what?" Luke protested, "There's nothing to stop, I'm not doing anything!"

"Stop thinking anything that you're thinking, I see that look of yours. Guy doesn't hate you."

"How can you say that?" he objected, backing up to lean against the railing that overlooked one of the many magnificent waterfalls. "You saw how he acted, and what Ion said! He _attacked_ me, how can he not hate me? He wanted to kill me!"

"Who hasn't wanted to kill you at some point?" she snapped back. "Anyway, you're being stupid. He's been with you for how long, now? Only your entire life. If he really intended to kill you, he'd have had plenty of chances to do it. I'm sure that there've been a lot of times that you've infuriated him and made him dislike you, but in the end, who came back for you? At any rate, I'm not blind and you know better, or you ought to. Someone can be forced to take care of you or do things for you out of duty or standing, but no one can be forced to care about anyone. Guy cares about you, Luke and he's probably done more for you than anyone. Trust in him."

Luke stared at her, before sighing and hanging his head again, smiling wryly.

"You don't ever pull your punches, huh?" he asked dryly, watching as Tear shifted, suddenly flustered.

"Uh…what?"

"I don't know if that was supposed to make me feel better, but it really just made it worse," he said lowly, "But I probably deserve that."

"Why don't you walk around a bit and pull your head together? Think about Guy and the things he's done for you, and see if you think he actually hates you when you're done," Tear suggested. "Meanwhile, I'll conspicuously tail you at a suitable distance because you've got to be crazy if you think I'm letting you go off on your own." She finished talking with an unladylike huff, reaching down and scooping up Mieu into her arms, taking about ten paces back. She shrugged and began tapping her foot, waiting on him.

Luke couldn't help it, covering his mouth before the laugh-snort could come out. Shaking his head, Luke began to walk down the pristine, cobbled streets of Grand Chokmah, taking no notice of where he was going, only that he was walking and that his steps echoed in his ears.

Luke thought back, farther than he usually did. It hurt to remember Choral Castle and he always tried to ignore the fact that he remembered clear as day how he'd felt at the very beginning. Abandoned, blank, and in pain for a reason he could identify only now, Luke remembered looking around that room, alone and in the dark. He'd been cold and frightened. He couldn't walk, couldn't speak, could barely even think, mindless with terror. And then the door had slammed open and he'd cringed, and Luke got his first look at Guy. Even now, if he really focused on those first memories, he could remember Guy kneeling down and scooping him up. His voice had been soothing and calm, and Luke's hands had refused to unclench from around his neck even when Guy had tried to set him on the ground in front of his parents.

At the age of eleven, Luke had nearly been squashed by a statue outside of his Duke Fabre's office. He had been in the care of one of the maids (or would have been had he not escaped from her) and had decided to try climbing the monstrosity, never mind that it was supported by one thin beam. It had begun to fall and he'd flinched, falling to the ground and watching it come at him. He'd shut his eyes, but the blow never came. Luke remembered peeking out through his hands, trembling, and seeing Guy holding up the statue with everything he had. When he could, he'd begun to cry, shaking with fear, and hadn't stopped until he was back in his room, cradled against Guy's chest.

Luke had almost drowned twice in the span of a month at the age of twelve, much to his eternal embarrassment. The first he could absolutely blame on Natalia, who'd insisted that he liked swimming and was good at it. Luke hadn't remembered any of this, of course, but despite being regularly irritated by Natalia, he thought that she might know better than he would, and he jumped in. He hadn't known to hold his nose and breathed in, lungs filling with water. Confused and disoriented, Luke hadn't known which way was the surface and flailed helplessly, unable to breathe, becoming more and more frantic by the second, until he couldn't remember anything at all. When he came to, Guy was hovering over him, a shaking hand pressed to his chest and prepared to do another round of chest compressions, wiping water off of his face as he spat it out onto the tiled floor. It was the one time that Guy had paid no attention to Natalia's position; the girl hovered over his shoulder, trembling with sobs and apologizing over and over again. The second was his own fault; Luke had decided that jumping into the ocean before getting an explanation on rip tides and how to avoid them was more important than staying alive. The outcome was the same as the first only saltier. Once again, the redhead had awoken to Guy's face, concerned and worried but this time prepared to deal out the scolding of his life, and Luke hadn't taken a step towards any body of water larger than his bathtub for months.

Luke vividly remembered kicking Guy in the face during a particularly intense tantrum. In retrospect, he didn't even remember what he was so upset about; probably something meaningless like not wanting to go to lessons or not wanting to wear shoes or write in his journal. He'd thrown one of the figurines on the dresser to the ground, shattering it to bits and shrieking like he was being murdered, in the process stepping straight into the mess he'd made and slicing his bare feet to ribbons on the broken pieces. That had merely sent him further into hysterics and when Guy had ducked in to pick him up out of it, Luke had shot out his foot to make impact, nearly breaking Guy's nose in the process. In retrospect, Luke hadn't known how the man (only a boy at the time, to boot) had managed to not cry out or swear or lash out with a fist in response, but somehow he'd gotten them both cleaned up and calmed eventually. Luke had been so cowed by the incident that the reason for his fit had ceased to upset him. At least, until the next one, which was suspiciously devoid of any physical violence on his part.

The first time it had snowed enough to stick in Baticul, Luke had been so eager to go out and play in it that he could barely sit still long enough for one of the maids to put on his mittens and boots and thick coat. He'd run through the courtyards and frozen gardens, looking for Guy ceaselessly until he found him, sitting on a stump, so still that he could have been mistaken for a statue. Guy had looked up and Luke had been confused at the frosty tracks on his face that his servant immediately wiped away. His smile had been strained and Luke remembered demanding that they make a snow fort to live in. Guy had hesitated but eventually given in, and they'd played for hours, Guy's smile eventually becoming more genuine and solid and their laughter echoing through the yard.

There was a span of about six months where Luke was positively, absolutely obsessed with climbing. He climbed everything he could get away with climbing (including but not limited to the statue that had nearly done him in), but mostly, he wanted to climb the giant oak tree in the main garden that was so tall and thick that when he stood under it, he couldn't see the sky or where it ended. Guy and his parents and Pere had all told him at one point or another that it was a bad idea and that he'd get hurt, but Luke disregarded the warnings, and the next time he found himself on his own, he'd scrambled up that tree until he was about thirty feet up. Unfortunately, he hadn't taken into account getting down, and when he decided to go and brag to Guy that he did it, he found himself completely stuck. Luke yelled and hollered but it was still almost twenty minutes before Guy chanced upon him. Luke had been in tears by then, even more so when Guy mercilessly refused to come up and get him until he'd promised to not climb anything taller than six feet without supervision until Guy said so. Eventually though, the blonde had taken pity on him and deftly swung up to where Luke was clinging to a branch, holding out an arm to help him down.

The memory of the first time Guy had kissed him was stark and ingrained in Luke's memory even now. It wasn't a romantic kiss, not in the slightest, but it meant as much if not more than one would have. Luke remembered being twelve and giving the maids the runaround as usual and had happened upon Guy in the garden, helping Pere pull weeds. He'd run over to a flowerbed and ripped out a few blue tulips (who'd miss them, anyway?) and tied them together, offering them to his only consistent caretaker with a flourish. He remembered being scolded mildly but humored nevertheless, but the feeling of Guy leaning forward to ruffle his hair and drop a kiss to the top of his head was what he remembered most. Luke himself had been kissing Guy for what seemed like ages, knowing that it was a gesture of affection and that he liked it when he saw his mother and she kissed him before she left. Guy had always protested of course, complaining that it wasn't something that he ought to be doing to a servant, but Luke had always ignored him, and years later he couldn't be happier that he had.

Just last week, Guy had kept him getting his head lopped off by a monster with too many heads and razor claws to focus on at once, shoving Luke behind him and pushing an apple gel on him, the expression on his face promising death, hours of sword training that night, and one of the swordsman's patented 'Goddamnit, stop almost dying' relief kisses. Luke had rolled his eyes at the time but nevertheless couldn't help looking forward to them a bit. Especially the kiss, but the training was okay too.

Akzeriuth… Thinking about it made Luke's insides twist up, but he forced himself to remember, and remember how he'd felt, walking through that cave and suddenly realizing that he wasn't alone with Tear anymore. That Guy had come back for him. Had believed in him, and had trusted him enough to think that he could change. Had thought that Luke was worth putting himself on the line for, even when the decision to go back for him couldn't have made him popular.

Luke stopped walking and heard Tear's footsteps continue approach until she stood next to him.

"…it was always Guy, huh?" he asked quietly, the side of his mouth tilting up. "Every time, it was him." The girl tilted her head at him and finally smiled one of those smiles that Luke knew meant that she was fighting the urge to laugh.

"Of course it was."

"I don't know what it was or where those feelings came from that made him act like that," the redhead continued, voice quieter and serious, "But I need to listen to him. He didn't have to do anything for me, and there's no benefit for him in what he's done for me over the years if that was what he was planning. I've done a good enough job of trying to get myself killed all these years that if that was what he wanted, all he had to do was sit back and watch. …Let's go talk to Emperor Peony, and then go see Guy." Tear nodded, before reaching out and gruffly whapping him on the head, already walking ahead. Luke shook his head, unsure if he understood her well or not at all.

When Luke could finally talk to Guy alone without a crowd, the man had apologized again, refusing to elaborate on whether it was attacking Luke or for his feelings themselves that he was sorry for.

Luke had said nothing, just curled himself around him and planted one of his own relief kisses on those familiar lips.

Guy had more experience in being relieved over the years, but Luke was gaining in spades.

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><p>Note: In case the title makes no sense, count how many memories Luke goes into. Also, I thought I'd mention, since we're ten chapters in, how appreciative I am for all the people who are reading this all the way through. 3<p> 


	11. Gardenia

Disclaimer: No.

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><p>#11 Gardenia<p>

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><p>If Guy hadn't loved these flowers so much, the smell might have been stifling. The scent was thick and heavy, each large, white blossom covered in tiny droplets of dew, not yet dissipated from the day. The sun was just barely cracking up over the horizon, shards of sunshine breaking through the clouds and casting a wet shimmer on everything it touched. Guy inhaled deeply, soaking it in, filling himself with morning, wet earth, and the almost intoxicatingly nostalgic scent of flowers.<p>

Gardenia was familiar and he must have been a bit of a masochist for going out of his way to experience it, but even after all this time he was drawn to the scent like a moth to a flame. His own mother had been fond of wearing the flowers pinned to the front of her blouse, and Guy remembered being swept up in hugs and pulling away smelling strongly of flowers for the rest of the day.

It didn't matter that he was essentially sitting in a massive bush in the middle of Emperor Peony's garden at a time of day that no normal human being should have been awake. If any of the gardeners happened to come across him, he'd just say that he was looking for something, which in a way, he was.

If anyone asked, Guy would say that he'd just gotten up, but that would have been a lie. He might have gone to bed but he hadn't slept, merely staring at the ceiling in his usual room, too antsy and strung up to wind down and he'd been wandering around the castle for over three hours, pacing the halls and courtyards that had become familiar to him in the months that he'd lived there before the journey started up again. They were all more used to inns and camping at this point, but Luke hadn't been able to resist the offer of the kind of bed that Peony could supply, and Guy had to admit that they were all more pleasant and easy to get along with when they'd spent the night somewhere comfortable.

There was little sleep for Guy, though. Not lately.

Ever since the holes in his memory had filled in thanks to Anise's over-exuberance, it had been more and more difficult for him to sleep through the night, and Guy wasn't sure whether it was worse to wake up not knowing why he was drenched with sweat and terror, or to know all too well.

"This is terrible," he muttered dryly to himself, "Some people go and get drunk. I go sniff bushes because I know it'll hurt me." Sometimes he wondered if Peony knew that gardenias had grown best in Hod, or if he kept them around because they were huge and prolific and bloomed until the plant was more white than green. Like roses only with a better scent that only came in white.

The Fabre gardens didn't have a single one and Guy hadn't thought about them at all until he'd come back to Malkuth and found them flourishing in Grand Chokmah.

Eventually, he pulled himself to his feet and dusted off his breeches, thankful that they were dark so that the evidence of dew and soil wouldn't be too obvious. Back in the open air, Guy felt as if he'd come out of a dream of humid memories so thick it was almost smothering and shivered slightly as the sweat he'd worked up cooled and evaporated in the morning.

Before he left, he snipped a single bloom off of the biggest bush, one from an angle that would be missed. He brought it to his face and breathed.

Silently, he made his way back to the inner areas of the castle, the only sounds being those of his own footsteps and the rustling of the servants now just beginning to start the day. It wasn't long before he came to the guest room he sought and pushed the door open, slipping in as silent as a cat.

Luke was still very much asleep, just as Guy had expected him to be. Curled up on his side and snuggled in a cocoon of blankets, he slept deeply and easily, and Guy didn't begrudge him a bit. Smiling softly, Guy approached closer and sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling the mattress sag slightly under his weight.

Luke shifted and felt around with a hand, patting experimentally until he hit Guy's knee. Scrunching up his face, he opened his eyes slowly, blinking dazedly.

"…what time is it?" he muttered, still half asleep.

"Far too early," the older man replied, keeping his voice low, "I didn't mean to wake you. Keep sleeping."

"You smell good," Luke said, ignoring the rest and cuddling closer until he was essentially curled around Guy's hips, before bringing his nose into Guy's ribs and breathing deeply. "Really good. What is that?" Leaning down, the swordsman pulled out the blossom that he'd stuck into his belt for the walk and tucked it into Luke's hair, just behind his ear.

"They don't have these in Baticul, or even in Kimlasca at all. No one grows them, and I'm not sure if they would even survive if someone did try," he said softly into Luke's ear. "They grew easily on Hod and they… they remind me of home." If he had to be honest, Guy wasn't sure quite why he was sharing something like this, especially now. But it felt right, and he knew that Luke wouldn't dare laugh at him for it.

A sleepy, pajama-covered arm wrapped around Guy's waist and squeezed firmly.

"I don't know where you intend to go when this whole thing is over and the world is back to normal again. You know, where you're going to want to live, what you're going to want to do," Luke began, only slightly more wakeful now that he'd been talking, "But if you end up coming home with me, we can try and grow them. I think Mother and Pere can grow about anything…" he trailed off and Guy gaped at him, aghast now at the heat gathering behind his eyes and utterly touched.

"Luke…" he started and stopped immediately, unable to continue. Green eyes blinked slowly at him, and Guy shook his head, before he leaned forward and kissed him. Softly and gently, more of a caress than anything else.

"Yeah?"

The blonde shook his head silently, pausing for a split second to wipe ferociously at his eyes, before casting a gentle smile at the person he absolutely adored.

"I never stood a chance, did I?" he mused, "Not a single chance."

"You bet," Luke muttered, "If you're gonna talk, at least get into bed with me. Better yet, get into bed with me and go to sleep. You look like you've been up all damn night."


	12. In A Good Mood

Red and Gold

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><p>Disclaimer: Ahahahaha.<p>

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><p>AN: HEY SO. I finally decided to pick these back up. I'm so sorry for keeping everyone waiting; I burned myself out and then I started writing big things and this just fell by the wayside a little bit, and my eternal apologies. I will try and pace myself a bit better in the future and try to not drop the ball on these again.<p>

Again, I AM SO SORRY.

I AM SCUM.

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><p>#12 In a Good Mood<p>

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><p>It was dark, it was rainy, and it was gloomy. It hadn't stopped raining all day even though it was getting into the afternoon and even the most stubborn of them had to admit that as far as days went, this one was relatively awful.<p>

Guy's booted feet sunk into what would eventually be muddy sludge if this kept up and tried to keep a good humor about it.

There was nothing to be done about it, nothing anyone could do about it but keep on keeping on, but it really was a miserable experience and he wasn't the only one trying desperately to keep a good face on. Even cheery Natalia, who generally made an effort to avoid complaining too much lest she be labeled further as a whiny princess was looking down at every step, scowling at the mush at her feet and then glancing up guiltily as if someone would be looking over, just waiting to condemn her for it.

Well, it wouldn't be Guy. At least the two of them were making an effort to try and not their feelings on their faces. Jade and Anise weren't even trying and Tear was just soldiering on, blank-faced except for the fact that she was even more vicious than usual when it came to disposing of the monsters that seemed even more aggressive, as if they hated the weather just as much as they did.

And then there was Luke.

Guy had seen all manner of sour expressions on Luke's face over the years but this one might take the cake, all snarly and grouchy in a manner reminiscent of a wet cat. They'd all started out with raincoats but it hadn't been long before the wind had started and Guy had realized that he might actually be wetter under the coat than outside it and given up.

So here he was, up to his knees with mud spatters and he might never be dry again, but Guy _needed_ something to go right today and something had to change.

He scanned the rock face until he spotted a dark spot against the wall, an entrance to a cave.

"Hey!" he shouted over the wind and stopped in his tracks. "We're not making any progress slogging along like this! Why don't we hole up for a bit and try again when this slows up?"

The best way to get anyone to do anything in this group was to go along like you were going to leave them all behind, Guy reminded himself, and turned on a heel to march into the cave he'd spotted, hoisting himself over a couple of slippery moss-covered rocks in the process. He knew Luke would follow him and despite being devoted to her mission, Tear wasn't any happier about looking like a wet rat, and Jade would go along with a smile on his face and a razor on his tongue and then be the very first to say _I told you so_. Once inside, he surveyed the place he'd scouted.

Not bad, not bad. Dank and dark and dreary –as caves were wont to be- but dry and sheltered from the rain by a ledge. Miraculously, it also appeared to be empty and Guy thanked his lucky stars because the rest of his friends had followed him and if there had been anything else in there? He might be getting himself slain right alongside the monster.

"Guy, we should keep going," Luke insisted at his shoulder, heady and impatient.

_As always_, Guy considered, casting him a scrutinizing side-eye.

As a whole, they all looked a mess and seemed to be relieved at getting out of the storm. The problem as he saw it was that they were all ridiculously stubborn and no one took kindly to being labeled a quitter, as Anise was quick to point out whenever anyone but her wanted to call it a day before sundown.

Guy was used to nasty conditions and more than that, was used to not complaining despite said nasty conditions but sometimes, someone had to put their foot down.

This time, it was his turn.

"C'mon, Luke," he said, trying not to sound patronizing even though what he really, really wanted was to dry off and have a few moments of quiet, "We're not getting anywhere fast like this and everyone's tired and moody-"

"_Who's_ moody?" Anise shot back from the other side of the cave where she was making a valiant attempt to wring out her pigtails. Guy studiously did not look in her direction.

"_And_ we'd only have about two more hours of travel before we stopped anyway," he continued. Luke had a look on his face like he was going to say something and Guy pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to not look frustrated. "Look, I'm going to rinse the mud out of my clothes before we start dinner. I'll do yours too, hand 'em over."

The tails of Luke's white coat were spattered with mud and the offer to take care of it wasn't just a peace offering; every little stain that remained would taunt Guy for the rest of his natural life and proceed to drive him insane. Blue-green eyes narrowed but after a moment of deliberation, Luke peeled off the coat and put it in Guy's outstretched hand.

"Guy…"

"You'd better go and get dry. The bags are watertight so everything should be fine."

The girls already had a corner sectioned off with a blanket that they were using to change behind and Guy suspected that everyone was happier about stopping than they wanted to appear. Luke, on the other hand, shot him a strange, unreadable look. Guy shooed him off with a hand, right before catching the boots that Jade unceremoniously flung in his direction.

"Go on," he said, "I'll take care of this."

And he did, slicking off his vest and tunic and boots and padding barefoot over to the entrance where he then proceeded to stick the muddy clothing back out into the rain to rinse it off.

By the time the things were clean, someone had started a fire and made a clothesline with a few sticks and a length of rope; Guy added his and Luke's to the collection and wandered over to his pack. It was set away from the others but he could hear them chatter, circled around the fire and beginning to prepare food from the packs.

Normally, he'd be right there in the throng of it but not today. Right now, all he wanted to do was to find a place with quiet and try and let the tension drain out of him because the day had been long and he felt like the only thing he'd been doing the entire time was keeping himself from saying something he'd regret later. Bad moods could be caught, he knew, and they had enough problems without someone catching his.

Not like anyone needed his help with something like that.

Maybe the best thing to do for now was turn in early, he thought, eyeing his bedroll. He always felt better after some sleep and yeah, it might have been a bit early for bed but he could always volunteer for the redeye watch that no one ever wanted to take.

After changing his pants underneath his blanket and hanging them up to dry, Guy wandered back to his space and tugged his blanket around his bare shoulders, leaning up against the wall and waving away the questions from his friends. He was fine, just… just tired. He was just tired and he'd feel better after some rest and not being frozen down to his bones.

Guy didn't know how long he sat, silently tuning out the talking and the rain that still had yet to so much as slow a single bit, but eventually he felt a presence in front of him. He opened his eyes and glanced up to see that Luke was standing over him, a plate in his hand.

"Luke?"

"Hey. I saved you a plate." Without fanfare, Luke sat down next to him and handed the plate over. For a few moments too long, Guy just stared at it, the warmth seeping in to his palms. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"Not like I can help but worry about it," Luke grumbled unrepentantly, "When you go all weird and unsociable."

Guy couldn't resist the urge to reach out a hand and card it through short red hair. Anyone else and Luke might have batted the touch away but Guy wasn't anyone else and he allowed it, leaning in to brush shoulder to blanketed shoulder.

"I'm fine. Really, don't worry so much. Just a little tired and it's been a long day. Thank you for the food."

Instead of getting up and leaving like a normal person, Luke scooted closer instead and flipped up the edge of Guy's blanket to slide inside. He raised an eyebrow at the lack of shirt underneath it but shrugged and nudged his way underneath Guy's arm anyway, tugging the blanket around them both.

"Can I help you?" Guy asked dryly.

"Yes," Luke replied, "You could stand to budge over a little, there's a rock stabbing me in the butt."

Guy couldn't help but snort a little and ended up obliging despite it all, Luke somehow taking up more space than he would have ever thought possible. He was warm, though, warm and pliant and watching him closely like he was worried that Guy would run away. He ought to know better.

"Are you okay?" Luke asked again and nudged Guy in the side until he took the hint and began to eat from the plate balanced on his knee; the food was still hot and Guy felt as if he was being warmed up from the inside out, the hot meal warming his stomach and the body next to him warming up his heart. Guy sighed and adjusted his arm around Luke's shoulders, shuffling him closer and it was only then that the red-haired hellion went boneless and full-on leaner. "Guy?"

"It's nothing," Guy replied and tilted his head to rest his cheek to Luke's temple, flame red mingling with blonde.

"I'm sorry for being a pain in the ass," Luke offered and that one admission was enough to illicit a bubble of suppressed laughter from Guy. It was loud enough that the others looked over, and the reactions ranged from eyebrows of surprise (Tear) to the very opposite of surprise with faces dropped into palms (Jade) at seeing the two of them curled up together underneath a single blanket.

"You'll always be a pain in the ass," Guy told him and the look Luke gave him was so offended that he couldn't hold back a second laugh and a tightening of his grip around Luke's shoulders. "But you're _my_ pain in the ass."

"Could be worse, then," Luke muttered under his breath and peered up at Guy through his eyelashes, nestled into him like he had so many nights before. "Do you feel any better? I can get you something to drink if you wanted—"

"Now that's just creepy," Guy emphasized his words with a crooked grin and a shake of his head, "No need to get all weird about it."

"See if I ever do anything nice for _you_ again," Luke huffed but didn't move away. Guy knew that he should probably feel _more_ annoyed but really, all he could feel right then was warm in more ways than one. Luke was trying –badly, Guy admitted, but trying- to cheer him up and against his will it was actually working. He'd almost been looking forward to an evening of simmering in silence until he could sleep it off but it had fled faster than it had come on.

Okay, so the day had been a miserable, vile cesspool of terrible. He spent the entire time wet, muddy, angry, and not even killing off the monsters they fought had helped.

And yet, now, all he could think about was the fact that, hey, they found a dry place for the night, his stomach was full, and there was a warm body next to him that was fully willing to snuggle if he was inclined.

And oh, Guy was inclined.

Any other day and Luke might have grumbled or complained at being manhandled in front of everyone, and Guy wasn't sure whether it stemmed from a new found sense of altruism (good luck on that one) or whether he might have needed it too, but Luke let him manhandle away. Absently, Guy set the plate to the ground and draped his other arm around the redhead at his side, pulling him close in a proper hug.

"Do you feel any better?" Luke asked into his shirt, voice muffled in fabric, and Guy snorted.

"Snot," Guy replied and, seconds later when no one was paying attention (Mieu had just set one of Anise's sleeves on fire and the girl was having a fit), lowered his head to drop a familiar kiss to Luke's temple, no more than a brush of the lips.

"You _do_ feel better, then."

"Oh, hush."

Okay, so maybe it was still storming and Guy was pretty sure that it would still be pouring the next day when they woke up. But maybe…maybe it wouldn't. Maybe it would be sunny.

Even if it did rain, Guy thought, suddenly and altogether uncharacteristically, that maybe that might be okay too.

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><p>AN2: I know it's been a long time, but if you have anything to say about this, please please please leave a review! I read and treasure every single one.<p> 


	13. Excessive Chain

Red and Gold

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><p>Disclaimer: Nope, nope, nope.<p>

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><p>#13: Excessive Chain<p>

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><p>Choral Castle is disgusting, Guy notes silently, eyeing the walls and broken floors with a detached disdain.<p>

He has no love for the little fon Fabre but he's no desire to see him killed just yet, not by someone other than him. So Guy walks through the dank and mossy halls with a cluster of the guards, only a little bit resentful. He was sent because he was available and not because of any supposed usefulness or skill; he's Luke's caretaker and he supposes that in theory that's enough.

Someone who cared more would probably be climbing the walls with worry; Guy just _can't_.

He rather likes the fact that Luke is a stoic little pisswipe because it makes it all the easier. Luke doesn't much care for Guy and Guy sure as hell doesn't care about Luke, duties aside.

So he calls out the kid's name like he's supposed to and scours the rooms they walk through, but not out of concern so much as obligation.

He doesn't want to find him, not really.

So Guy walks along, the picture of resentment and downtrodden sullenness, right along with the guards. They're not much happier to be here than he is though hopefully, none of them possess the same drive for revenge that he does. He doesn't much like _them_ either but he'd really hate to kill them if he doesn't have to.

They're near the center of the castle and one of the guards pushes open the huge, heavy door, and they file inside like they're supposed to, calling for Luke like they've been the whole time.

A shadow shifts and Guy's hand flies to his sword, but it's not a monster that moved.

A dirty, scruffy little redhead drags himself out of the darkness and when the guards start, he cringes backwards to cower against the wall, shaking like a leaf. Guy starts forward but the guards are faster, shouting his name.

And Luke _flinches_.

"Hey, hey! Stop that!" he finds himself saying, reaching out to grip one of them by the arm to pull them back. "You're scaring him, that's enough!" He takes a step closer to the little boy trembling against the wall and huge, terrified green eyes lock onto his. Guy makes an effort to soften his posture and holds up his hands to show that he's unarmed. "Easy there, Master Luke. Easy. It's okay." There's something seriously wrong here, he knows that like he knows the sun rises; there's fear there, so much fear, but there's also a lack, like Luke has no idea who he is. "It's alright, you know me. It's Guy, you know? I take care of you, we're here to take you home."

Still nothing.

There's no comprehension on Luke's face and Guy knows there's something wrong, so wrong. Nevertheless, he takes another step forward, and another, and another until he's close enough to drop to the ground in front of his charge.

Luke's an absolute mess, dirt everywhere and his clothing ripped but he seems unharmed except for the look in his eyes like some wild thing. Guy's seen that look before but only on animals, when they're backed into a corner and there's no way out and they've been hurt to the point of breaking, and seeing that look now puts a cold chunk of ice into his stomach despite himself.

No, he doesn't like the kid at all, but even so…

How could he ever relish in seeing it?

There's something else in that statement but Guy can't think about that right now, engrossed as he is in trying to figure out whether Luke's injured or not. He doesn't seem to be. The guards hang back and Guy reaches out to grip slim shoulders, tugging the boy to his feet. He lets go and Luke drops like a rock.

"What the—" Guy sputters, "What's wrong?"

Green eyes stare balefully up at him like this is _his_ fault.

Of course.

Guy reaches out again and this time when he lifts him he keeps his grip, surreptitiously checking him over for injuries. He seems unhurt. Just…

Well, traumatized is about the only word that comes to mind.

Luke's still shaking like he'll never stop and suddenly tears are slipping down his cheeks like he only just realized he could cry, leaving wet tracks through the dirt on his face. And something in Guy that he thought he'd forgotten twinges with hurt, sudden and sharp, and he's pulling Luke towards him to scoop him up in his arms.

"Easy, easy," he finds himself crooning in a voice he didn't know he had, "It's okay. You're okay. It's gonna be alright, now. I've got you." Thin arms wrap around his neck and hold tight and hands clench in his collar as Luke presses himself closer to the only person he seems to trust at all. And that doesn't make sense because Luke fon Fabre can't stand Guy, thinks he's stupid and beneath him and not worth the ground he walks on.

Still, Guy holds him tight and approaches the cluster of guards who've been watching the whole thing unfold, feeling Luke tense in his arms as they get closer. He knows they think he's being far too familiar (hell, he thinks he's being far too familiar) but he'll deal with that later when they're out of this godforsaken mudhole.

"Okay," he says and has absolutely no right to say a word, because in no way is he the leader of this little expedition, "We should get out of here. We've found the young master, now let's get him home." And they actually _listen_, probably because they all hate this place as much as Guy does, and Luke desperately needs to see a doctor so that they can figure out what's wrong with him, and Gut hates that he's worrying –_worrying! _ - about the kid he's supposed to be using for his revenge.

But right now he just…he can't.

He can't do it, not when that person's huddled into him and he can feel him shiver with every movement, even as they march through those abandoned hallways and trundle into the waiting carriage. He finds a hankie under the seat and uses it to clean off the worst of the dirt, revealing unmarred pale skin made more so by terror. Guy keeps talking the whole time because it seems like it helps when he does, and maybe if he calms down by the time they arrive back at Baticul, he'll come back to himself and Guy can go back to hating his guts. That's how it should be.

Except that how it should be isn't how it is.

How it should be is Luke sitting in the carriage by himself because otherwise, Guy would have never been permitted in it. How it should be is Luke walking right past him like he didn't need rescuing at all, like Guy's the biggest idiot in the world for doing what he's told. How it should be is Luke walking, talking, and generally being his horrible little self.

How it should be isn't how it is, because how it is is Luke curled up in the tiniest ball imaginable in Guy's lap. How it is is how, occasionally, he chokes out a near-silent, hiccupping sob into Guy's midsection. How it is is Guy's worry churning in the pit of his stomach, worry he never wanted.

And it's _wrong_.

So Guy doesn't take his hands off him the whole ride, locks his feelings up into a little box, and tries to figure out how he can possibly fix this. What could have happened to him to make him like this, a fearful little shadow of himself? It doesn't take a genius to see that the kid's in some kind of agony and Guy doesn't know what he can do to fix it, if anything. All he can give him right now is protection, which is the most ironic thing Guy's ever thought in his life, so he will for now if only because Guy doesn't want his revenge like this.

He'd actually feel kind of…guilty. Guilt was no good.

Guy can see the city out the window of the carriage and he wonders what's waiting for them. Probably an entourage of doctors and maids and a worried mother because Duke fon Fabre wouldn't ever spare the time to so much as look at his kid, much less worry about him. It's almost dusk and he looks down at Luke to see that his eyes are closed and the previously quick, shallow breaths are deep and even, and something about that makes Guy _hurt_.

Luke fon Fabre is sleeping on him.

Luke fon Fabre trusts him.

And it _hurts_.

Guy shifts to lean up against the window, adjusting the sleeping noble on his lap to watch the scenery go by, a hand tangling in red hair that desperately needs to be brushed, the other curling protectively around his shoulders. It'll be a while yet before they reach the Capital and Luke has yet to so much as say a word, even though his hands are tangled in Guy's top and he made the most heartbreaking whines every time one of the guards tried to Guy of his burden.

It's a burden he's accepted, at least for now.

At least until Luke gets back on his feet, because Guy hates where his heart is but can't make himself fight it, not when anything less is just not…

Well, it's not _fair_.

Guy can give him this for now and then, later, he's sure things will go back to normal. He's sure of it. Luke'll be back in the familiar and he'll be back to his old self, the self that Guy can't stand or feel this sad for, and everything will be back to normal. Otherwise, this can only be a chain, a link that Guy won't be able to break.

He'll break first.

The soaring rooftops and buildings and walls get closer and closer and Guy lets himself fade away, out of this carriage, away from Luke, away from everything that went so wrong. He can go back to Hod, to his family, to everything that he knows and where nothing hurts.

It's only when he realizes that during this whiteout, he had leaned forward and brushed lips to red hair that Guy understands, really understands, how impossible that is.

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><p>AN: Thank you for reading! If you have anything at all to tell me, please leave a comment! It only takes a few moments and does wonders for me as a writer, as well as giving me a good idea about who's enjoying my writing.<p> 


	14. Radio-Cassette Player

Red and Gold

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><p>#14: Radio-Cassette Player<p>

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><p>Disclaimer: Nope.<p>

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><p>AN: SO. I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY DROPPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH, I SWEAR. I AM SCUM. If anyone is actually still reading this, thank you for sticking around!<p>

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><p>"I want it."<p>

"Come on, Guy. Let's go!"

"I want it…"

"_Guy_, let's go!"

Frowning, Luke buries his hands in the fabric of Guy's sleeve and proceeds to drag him away from the shop window where he'd been fawning over the latest tech: a music player far smaller and more advanced than even the one in the manor, and he'd stood there for so long that the others had already started walking away. Not that Luke could blame them on that one, not one bit.

Guy'd stand there for hours and likely spend most of their funds on fontech if they'd let him; more than once he'd gone out and come back with an armful of parts and wires and tools. He was happy as a clam with something to fiddle with and he wasn't half-bad at it either, even if a lot of what he built and fixed only did simple things like light up or spin around. He'd have killed for a chance to take a class or get lessons, Luke knew, but there'd never been time for it.

Nevertheless, the topic is forgotten until they get back to the airship and Anise mentions something to Noelle about Guy's infatuation, and she cocks her head and replies with something about there being a broken music player somewhere in one of the back rooms, and Luke feels something sink into the pit of his stomach.

None of them have seen Guy since.

He hadn't shown up for dinner or for planning or talks -which was fine because they weren't really doing anything super-super-important that required Guy-specific attention anyway- but Luke couldn't help thinking about it.

Couldn't, anyway, until he stopped thinking about it.

Minutes later, though, a slightly static-y tune starts filtering through the airship and Luke resists the urge to groan while everyone else looks confused. He does groan, then, when a voice easily recognized as Guy's begins to follow said tune, singing along.

"Oh, no."

"Luke?"

He doesn't realize that he says this aloud until Tear prods at him a bit.

"Now he'll never stop."

Tear and Anise exchange equally confused stares but Natalia's caught on and wears a look of resigned horror of her own. Finally, someone _understands_. Well, she should; she's been around long enough.

"What's the problem?" Tear asks, "He just got it working again. No big deal."

Luke doesn't say anything in favor of dropping his head to the table and accepting Natalia's sympathetic shoulder pat.

The singing continues.

Eventually, Tear can't stand it anymore and sinks down into the chair next to him, prodding at the side of Luke's head.

"I still don't see what the problem is," she says with obvious confusion, "He's happy. And he's not a bad singer." And she was right, Guy wasn't. Maybe not the best in the world but he's on key and he can carry a tune and he changes the song when it's over, and honestly that's more than you can ask from most people.

Luke rolls his head from side to side on the table. He hopes there's a red mark on his forehead that he can blame Guy for later.

It would serve him right.

"Just wait," Luke mumbles and doesn't look up to see Natalia covertly hiding the remnants of Noelle's latest project underneath a sheet. "Just wait."

And Tear laughs at him.

_Laughs at him._

Serves her right too.

Three hours later, Luke's pretty sure that Tear is seriously reconsidering her choices and the direction that her life is gone, because she's wrapped a scarf around her head and is talking _very_ loudly with Natalia on the number of cows a Kimlascan civilian should be allowed to own in the capitol, a topic that Luke's almost positive that she doesn't care a whit for.

Guy's still singing.

Since his success with the radio, he's apparently also made it his mission to fix everything in the airship that he deems broken, even things that aren't broken at all. The bangs and clangs and whizzing of tools tangle up with his voice that still comes warm and smooth through the halls.

Jade is nowhere to be seen but Luke is willing to put money on the fact that he's devising a diabolical scheme somewhere in the bowels of the ship, because Jade's a natural villain if Luke's ever seen one.

"I'm going to kill him. I swear it. He's dead," Tear grumbles from her riveting conversation in the corner.

Luke deals another hand to Anise, frowning at the cards he's been given.

"Go on, then," he says, "Knock yourself out."

"I'll knock _him_ out," comes the irritated reply. "How are you so calm? I would have thought that it would be driving you crazy."

"It is," Luke answers, "Do you have any twos?" Anise laughs at him. "Figures." He turns back to Tear. "You know how when you're playing with a dog and you pretend to throw the ball? The first few times the dog goes for it but eventually he wises up and starts ignoring you? That's me after seven years. It's classic Guy."

Tear blinks at him, opens her mouth as if she's going to protest, then closes it.

"That skill of yours would have been pretty useful if it applied to other things," Anise teases. Luke scowls.

"Shut up!"

"Hothead~" she singsongs. "Aces?"

"Not in a thousand years."

Anise flicks a card at his face with a huff.

"I will actually kill him, though. It's slowly becoming more and more tempting." Tear gives up all pretenses of being interested in owning cows in favor of casting a dark stare in Luke's direction like it's his fault even though clearly that all belongs to Anise.

"There's no need to kill Guy," a voice came from the doorway and they all turn to see Jade standing there, his arms filled with parts and wires and tools and chips. They all stare at him. "I've come up with a plan."

Luke _called_ that so hard.

"I have here in my arms everything that our dear Mr. Fix-It needs to repair this piece of machinery. Except, of course, for this one crucial part that will stay safe in my pocket. It might not stop the singing but it should at least keep him from fixing anything necessary."

Luke thinks, for a moment, that inside this great plan is actually a terrible plan. It's pretty mean, too.

He kind of likes it.

Especially when there's a banging sound that comes from the direction of where he sleeps. Jade doesn't wait for a reply before turning on a heel and exiting, and not five minutes later the crashing quiets.

A half hour later, the singing stops.

They don't see hide nor hair of Guy until it's time to land for sleep. Luke loves having the airship because he kind of hates sleeping outside. He's gotten used to the noises and the uneven ground, but there's something about having solid walls around him that lets him sleep easier. Even though sleeping on the airship is pretty much just sleeping on the floor in a bedroll, it beats the woods.

Luke always hated the idea of camping and hated it even more when he and Guy had camped out one night in the garden. Whose idea that was he had no idea, but it was unforgivable.

When Guy emerges from his cave, he's covered in dust and smudges of dirt and grime, and his hair's going every which way (even more than usual). He's also wearing the surliest expression that any of them have ever seen. He doesn't say a word as he peels off his gloves and chucks them in the corner, but he bleeds frustration and unhappiness through every inch and line of him.

Crap.

Now Luke actually does feel legitimately bad.

It wasn't _that_ big of a deal, he rationalizes. So it was just a bit of singing, what was the harm? And Guy'd never actually broken anything. Inconvenienced things but everything still worked.

And now he was walking around in about the worst mood he could get in.

Crap.

No one says anything but he can sense Natalia's disapproval at all of it underneath her dignity and Tear looks like she regrets it a little even though she's removed her scarf from her head. Jade radiates satisfaction like the asshole that he is.

Guy's silent through dinner too and as soon as it's over he takes his own things to wash up and doesn't come back.

As one, everyone but Jade turns to stare at Luke.

He flounders.

"What?!"

Silence.

Luke droops, pushes his dinner things aside to deal with later, and then gets to his feet. If anyone's quipped to handle Guy when he's like this, he figures, it's him. And it is kind of his fault, he grudgingly admits. Before he leaves the room, he holds out a hand to Jade.

"Yes?"

"Give it to me," Luke demands. "The part you kept. Give it to me."

Jade gives a put upon sigh but does as requested, dropping the piece into Luke's outstretched hand.

There aren't a lot of places to hide out on an airship and Luke knows exactly where he's going. He pushes open the door to one of the storerooms and finds Guy rummaging through the pile of parts Jade gave him, shifting them around like he's put them together and taken them apart too many times to count. He probably has. He's also tense and riled up like a porcupine. Luke clears his throat.

"Hey, you okay?"

Guy mutters an incomprehensible reply and punts one of the chips across the room. Well, shit. Luke approaches gingerly and sits down next to him, encroaching into his personal space but not touching him. Yet.

"Look, it's not a big deal. So you're having some issues with it, so what?"

"It should work," Guy says. It's not good but it's a start. "I don't understand why it won't work. It should work, damnit."

Luke makes a mental note to accidentally knock Jade in the kneecaps the next battle they're in.

"Maybe it's missing a piece," he offers, hand closing around the piece in his pocket.

"Maybe, but I can't imagine what it could..." Guy trails off when Luke presses the part into his hand without a word. He stares at it and Luke stares at the wall. He's not sure what he expects from this point, honestly. For Guy to put the thing together and start singing again, and start driving them all insane?

Whatever he expects, it's not what he gets.

Guy looks the piece over, sighs a little, and puts it down without a word. It's obvious that he's already put it together.

"Guy? I'm really sorry, " Luke apologizes and feels like kind of the worst person ever, "It wasn't my plan but I knew about it and went along with it. I'm sorry, okay? It's just-"

"I went overboard again," Guy interrupts him quietly, "I know. I figured."

That still didn't make it right, though. Not really. Not that Luke can do much more than say he's sorry and hope that it helps. Guy's forgiven him even when he _hasn't_ apologized. He's forgiven him for worse. Still, there's a ball of unhappiness that settles in the pit of his stomach that burns cold.

Luke leans over a little to press into Guy's side. For a few seconds Guy doesn't move, until eventually he curls an arm around Luke's shoulders to reel him in. The gesture's warm and classic Guy and Luke feels his skin go hot and kind of fizzy, like it has long since before he knew what his feelings were.

There's no thought in letting his face tilt up, in shifting to press his lips to Guy's in a kiss that the other man takes advantage of to tug Luke closer until he's practically in his lap. Luke would protest and say he hated it but that would be a pack of lies, because he's warm and comfortable and _home_. Luke slings his legs over Guy to straddle him, kissing him again even as hands settle on his hips to keep him steady.

"You can," Luke says when he can, his words coming staggered and slightly breathless, "Keep the- the radio."

Suitably cheered (whether about the radio or the current circumstances Luke doesn't know, nor does he care), Guy smiles a little and rakes a hand through Luke's hair. Luke would protest being petted like a dog if he didn't like it so much. Also because Guy's kind of secretly sadistic and _knows _he likes it.

"On one condition!"

"_Excuse_ me?" Guy pulls away and frowns down at Luke in his lap. Luke who's wearing an expression of ultimate evil. Or at least what he hopes is ultimate evil with bruised lips and a slightly glazed look in his eyes.

Evil is right.

"You have to play it around Jade."

Guy stares for a good five seconds before his face breaks into a grin and laughter comes with it.

Luke smiles back and seals the deal in the best way he knows how—with a kiss.

He's got his priorities, after all.

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><p>AN2: Thank you so much for reading! Again, my apologies in letting this slip away from me; I'm the worst. Anyway, if you have any thoughts, comments, concerns, worshipful praise, feel free to leave them in a review. Or if you'd prefer, shoot me a PM; I always reply to those.<p> 


	15. Perfect Blue

Red and Gold

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><p>#15: Perfect Blue<p>

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><p>Disclaimer: Nope.<p>

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><p>AN: SO. I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY DROPPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH, I SWEAR. I AM SCUM. Also I apologize for my bevity ahahahaha.<p>

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><p>Luke's favorite color is blue.<p>

He's not sure why and he doesn't remember but he thinks it might be because that's the first color he saw coming out of Choral Castle. He doesn't remember it but Guy does, Guy who says that it was a beautiful sunny day when they found him and pulled him out of the dank. He says that when Luke saw the sun for the first time he flinched and shook until his eyes adjusted and then he didn't do anything but stare.

Luke's heard the story and finds it valid but he has another theory that he holds close to his heart like a winning hand of cards.

Guy's eyes are blue.

It's sappy as all hell and that's why he lets Guy think he loves the color of the sky when, in fact, Guy came first. Luke knows the color of Guy's eyes like he knows nothing else, because he's always been there._ He_ was the one who pulled out of the darkness and into the light, who took care of him from the start, who came back for him even when he didn't deserve it after Akzeriuth.

Luke still doesn't think he deserves it but that's not the point.

The point is that Guy's a gift and the occasional curse, one he doesn't deserve and didn't ask for but gets anyway, and it took him way too long to understand that.

Luke's favorite color is blue and even the perfect summer sky, cloudless or freckled with white puffs, isn't good enough.

Luke's greedy and close enough isn't good enough, hasn't ever been good enough. The only thing that's good enough is what_ is_, and sometimes he wonders if what he feels is love or simply selfishness. Maybe both. Luke heard someone say, once, that love was the most selfish thing that a person could do.

He's heard others say that love is selfless.

Luke doesn't know what he believes but a selfless love isn't what he has because he puts every drop of himself into it, feels it pulse through every heartbeat, run through every vein until he drowns in it. His is not a selfless love at all.

That's okay though, because Luke's expected to be selfish and he never expected to survive this adventure so he's okay with being selfish as long as Guy's okay with it too. Guy's love isn't selfless either even though about everything else he does is. Or maybe it's not and it just_ seems_ like it is. That's kind of a running thing with Guy.

Reading Guy's like reading a mystery novel anyway, Luke thinks one evening after Tear happens to chuck a novel at his head one evening and he starts flipping through it. He reads the words, thinks he understands what's going on, and then it turns out that it's all different by the time he reaches the end.

And honestly, he's kind of okay with that too.

Guy's a weirdo anyway and anyone who thinks he's anywhere normal doesn't know the dude at all but even so, even as insane and terrifying as Luke's life's gotten, there's still no place that Luke feels safer than by his side. He'd like to say that it's a throwback from his childhood but it's not, it's really, really not.

And then Luke has to disappear and he hates it and all he wants to do is come home. Home's not a place now but the people that he's come to love and that he has to wait so long is almost unbearable.

The reunion is almost worth the heartbreak, though in truth the only thing that's worth the heartbreak is getting to come home at all. Luke never expected to live in the first place and being able to come home, to see his best friends, to see_ Guy_, is more than he ever thought would happen.

Tear's voice is the first thing Luke hears when he returns but Guy's the first person he really sees, just like the first time in Choral Castle.

Guy looks a little more put together but just the same, his hair still windblown and his eyes the bright sky blue that Luke's missed so very much, and Luke feels a sudden spike of fear. Guy looks the same but Luke looks different, he knows what; what if it's too much? What if it's not enough?

What if…

And then Guy's running full tilt toward him and all Luke can do is open his arms for him as he's always done, and the hard collision that comes next is exactly what he wants.

Guy's bright and tall and warm like sunshine and Luke drinks him in like he'll never see the sky again.

"Welcome home," Guy breathes, both his hands cupping Luke's cheeks, and for a few seconds all he can do is stare to take in every detail and every change. He sees the change and finds that they don't matter.

"I missed you so much," Luke says like a promise, fervently, and when Guy kisses him, all he can taste is blue.

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><p>AN2: Thank you so much for reading! Again, my apologies in letting this slip away from me; I'm the worst. Anyway, if you have any thoughts, comments, concerns, worshipful praise, feel free to leave them in a review. Or if you'd prefer, shoot me a PM; I always reply to those.<p> 


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